When you come into the office for a hearing test the results are explained right after. When it is discovered there is hearing loss in both ears the common question is “do I need two?”. The usually response is yes.
We have two ears that work together and send important information to our brain. If we have hearing loss in both ears then both sides would benefit from amplification. By wearing hearing aids in both ears you improve the distance that you can from. You are able to localize sounds better. Most importantly you improve the ability to understand conversation.
In some cases there is no need for two hearing aids. This is when someone has normal hearing in one ear or has too much hearing loss to benefit from a hearing aid. That is why it is very important to come in a have your hearing tested annually and a recommendation can be made based on your audiogram and speech testing.
This month I had a women let me know she had misplaced one of her hearing aids and needed it to be replaced. A week went by until her replacement hearing aid could be made and delivered to her. When I finally fit her with her replacement she was elated. She said “I can get by with one but Oh boy having two is so much better for my hearing.”
In today’s digital hearing aids often the two hearing aids work together to help improve your ability to hear in a noisy environment. This creates a more natural sound.
